2nd Edition

Performance Improvement Making it Happen, Second Edition

By Darryl D. Enos Copyright 2010
    324 Pages 27 B/W Illustrations
    by Auerbach Publications

    While organizations differ from each other, they are also alike in many ways. Regardless of whether they are large or small, not-for-profit or profit driven, these organizations usually face similar challenges, problems, and opportunities pertaining to performance.

    Based on the experiences of over 300 organizations, Performance Improvement: Making it Happen, Second Edition details an effective step-by-step approach toward improving organizational performance. It combines state-of-the-art knowledge and techniques in organizational development with many actual cases and experiences. The book is organized into three parts that are targeted at gaining the most from organizational performance: Getting It Started, Taking Action, and Making It Permanent.

    This second edition features real-world examples dealing with issues representative of those found in a variety of industries and the concepts and methods of improvement used. The final part provides readers with a plan for integrating many of the performance improvement interventions and programs previously discussed into an overall approach for making improvements successful and continuous. This final section also features three very different organizations that have used many of the performance improvement programs discussed in the book. Their measured progress in performance is highlighted.

    Part I PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT: GETTING IT STARTED
    Performance Improvement Efforts: They Are Everywhere
    An Overview of Today's Realities
    Performance Definitions
    Powerful Need for Performance Improvement
    Limited Success in Performance Improvement
    Organization: A Fortune 500 Communications Company with
    Worldwide Reach
    Specific Reasons Why Leaders Start Performance Improvement
    Organization: Small Consumer Services Company
    A Process Approach: The First Look
    Summary
    Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders
    End Notes

    Performance Gaps and Deficiencies: An Overview for
    Facing Reality
    Organization: Chiropractic Partnership
    Leadership Definitions of Their Organization's Performance:
    The Ideal Case
    Organization: Webster University Performance at the Operational
    Level
    Organization: May Co. Inc., One of the Country's Largest Retailers
    (Recently Purchased by Federated)
    Goals, Standards, Key Performance Indicators, and Models of
    Effective Performance: Measures of Performance
    Identifying Areas of Performance Improvement
    Performance Improvement
    Conclusion
    Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders
    End Notes

    Deciding on Performance Improvement:
    Useful Concepts and Tools
    Introduction
    Organization: Matheny Heating and Cooling Service, Inc.
    A Process for Deciding About and Managing Performance Improvement: If / What / How?
    The General Model of Planned Change Overview
    The Four Stages
    Stage I: Entering and Contracting
    Stage II: Diagnosis
    Organizational Unit: A Large Information Technology
    Department
    Stage III: Panning and Intervention
    Organization: Motor Appliance Corporation
    Stage IV: Evaluation
    A Model of Effective Performance: The Organizational
    Success Model
    Organization: Ehrhardt Tool and Machine Company
    Suggested Action Steps
    End Notes

    Improving Performance for New Organizations
    Why This Chapter?
    Scenario 1: The New Start-up Organization
    Organization: A Healthcare Services and Products Firm
    Scenario 2: Mergers and Acquisitions
    Scenario 3: Significant Change in the Leadership of an existing
    Organization due to the Addition or Loss of Significant Leaders
    Organization: Landshire Sandwiches Inc.
    Scenario 4: A New Department or Unit within a Larger Organization
    when that Unit Will Be Permanent (i.e., not a temporary
    project team)
    Suggested Action Steps
    End Notes

    Performance Improvement and Goal Setting:
    Making the Strategic Vision Happen
    Introduction
    Characteristics of Effective Goals
    Sources of Resistance to Goal Setting
    Scottrade Company
    Benefits from Organizational or Team Goal Setting
    Cascading Goals
    Organization: Tone's Brothers
    Special Case: Large Teams in Big Organizations
    Organization: The Pro*Visions Pet Specialty Enterprises
    Sales Team for Ralston Purina, Co. (now a part of Nestle)
    Cascading Goals Down to the Individual
    Measuring Performance: Goals and Key Performance Indicators
    A Brief Case Study: Another Model of Effective Performance
    Organization: An Engineering Fabrication and Process Consulting
    Company
    Organization: Scottsdale Securities, Inc
    The Role of Feedback
    Organization: A Privately Owned Real Estate Company
    Managed by the Owner
    Conclusion
    Suggested Action Steps for Organizational Decision Makers
    End Notes

    PART II PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT: TAKING ACTION
    Strategic Plan for the Organization: Where It All Starts
    Connecting Strategy to Prior Discussions
    Recommended Process for Creating Organizational or Team
    Strategy
    Component 1: The Strategic Timeframe and Identification
    of the Driving Force
    Organization: Tone's Brothers
    Component 2: The Strategic Concept Statement
    Component 3: Evaluation of the Current Situation
    Component 4: Strategic Objectives
    Cascading Goals Revisited and Extended
    Organization: Scottsdale Securities, Inc. (now Scottrade Inc.)
    Organization: Medium-Sized Law Firm (Roberts, Perryman,
    Bomkamp & Meives, P.C.)
    Organization: Development Department of an Average-Sized
    Private University (Webster University)
    Major Process Issues
    Conclusion
    Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders
    End Notes

    Building a Learning Organization:
    Importance and Methods
    Review and Linkage
    The Learning Organization: A Starting Point for
    Performance Improvement
    Performance Improvement
    Defining a Learning Organization
    Organization: Mid-sized Credit Union
    The Model for Growth: Learning and Skill Development
    Building Learning Organizations: Three Case Studies
    Case Study 1: Landshire Sandwiches, Inc.
    Case Study 2: Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
    Case Study 3: Scottrade Inc. (see Chapters 3 and 6 for
    data on Scottrade)
    Summary and Conclusion
    Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders
    End Notes

    Selection, Strategy, and Performance:
    Process, Tools, and Techniques
    Introduction and Overview
    Sources of Information for Hiring Decisions
    Steps 1 - 5
    Organization: Site Oil Company
    Organization: Ralston Purina Training Function (now Nestle Purina)
    Purina Selection Process (now Nestle Division),
    Pro*Visions Department
    Other Techniques for Effective Selection
    Three Additional Selection Issues
    Conclusion and Summary
    Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders
    End Notes

    Leadership, Management, and Teamwork
    Introduction and Linkage
    Previous Chapters as a Linkage to Leadership, Management, and
    Teamwork
    The Importance of Leadership and Team Management
    Sources of and Changes in an Individual's Leadership and
    Management Behavior
    Importance of Leadership and Management in Organizational or
    Team Performance Revisited
    Model of Effective Management and Leadership Performance
    Managing and Leading Area 1: Management Values
    (Beliefs about People and Workers)
    Managing and Leading Area 2: Participation, Access, and
    Involvement (Participative Management)
    Managing and Leading Area 3: Interpersonal Competence and
    Communication Style
    Managing and Leading Area 4: Motivation: The Managers and
    Those They Manage
    Managing and Leading Area 5: Power and Empowerment
    Managing and Leading Area 6: Leadership Style
    Organization: Ranken Technical College
    Suggested Action Steps for Leaders and Managers
    End Notes

    Teams: Their Uses and Impact on Performance
    Linkage and Overview
    Some Areas for Teamwork
    When to Use Teams and When Not to Use Them
    A Model of Effective Teamwork
    Organization: ACF (American Car Foundry)
    Marketing, Sales, and Customer Service Teams
    Organization: A 20-Person Advertising Company
    Production Teams
    Company: Tone's Brothers
    Conclusion
    Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Decision Makers
    End Notes

    Performance Management: Goals, Feedback, and Performance
    A Brief Review Related to This Topic
    The Role of Departments, Teams, and Individuals
    Call Center at Scottrade Company
    At the Individual Level
    A Model Effective Performance Management Program
    Organizations Doing PMPs Correctly
    Summary and Conclusion
    Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders
    End Notes

    Recent Programs Emphasizing Effectiveness and Efficiency
    How This Chapter Fits In
    Project Management
    An Overview of the Connection between Project Management and
    Organizational Development/Performance Improvement
    Two Manufacturing Interventions Related to Performance
    Improvement:
    Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma
    Ehrhardt Tool and Machinery Company (see Chapter 3)
    Conclusion and Summary
    Suggested Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders
    End Notes
    Performance Improvement

    Performance Improvement: Change, Learning, and
    Developing the Individual
    Introduction
    What Is Known about Developing Individual Performance
    The Model for Growth and Developing Individual Performance
    Morale and Individual Performance
    Performance Management and Developing the Individual
    Organization: Pro*Visions Pet Specialty Enterprises Sales Team
    for Ralston Purina Co
    Core Competencies and Developing Individual Performance
    Conclusion: Individual Learning and Performance Improvement
    Suggested Action Steps
    End Notes

    Learning in Performance and Performance Improvement
    The Importance of Learning in Organizational Performance
    Improvement
    Learning and Previous Topics
    A Practical Model of How People Learn
    Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders
    End Notes

    Programs for Training, Development, and Education:
    Helping People Learn for Performance
    Introduction
    Distinguishing Training, Development, and Education
    The Three Learning Initiatives and Performance Improvement
    Characteristics of Effective Training and Development
    Organization: Veterinary Sales Team, Ralston Purina
    (now a part of Nestle)
    Organization: Division of Family Services (DFS), Boot Heel of
    Missouri
    Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders
    End Notes

    PART III PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT:
    FORCES WORKING FOR AND AGAINST NEEDED CHANGE
    Factors Affecting Performance Improvement Impact and
    Stability
    Introduction and Linkage
    External Forces Requiring Change by Organizations
    Forces Working against Change
    Techniques for Encouraging Change
    First Technique for Encouraging Performance Improvement
    Change: The Critical Role of Leadership
    Organization: Division of Family Services, Boot Heel of
    Missouri
    Organization: Ranken Technical College
    Second Technique for Encouraging Performance Improvement
    Change: Changing the Organization and Culture
    Third Technique for Encouraging Performance Improvement
    Change: Changing the Characteristics
    Fourth Technique for Encouraging Performance Improvement
    Change: Conducting Effective Performance Improvement
    Interventions
    Summary and Conclusion
    Suggested Action Steps for Organizational or Team Leaders
    End Notes

    Comprehensive Performance Improvement:
    Actions for Leadership
    Introduction
    Strategic Questions
    Operations Questions
    Linking the Basic Elements of High-Level Performance
    Organization: A Consumer Products Company
    Conclusion and Summary
    Suggested Action Steps for Organizational Leaders
    End Notes

    Performance Improvement Efforts: Trade-offs for Leaders
    Introduction
    Scottrade Inc.
    Landshire Inc.
    Alliance Credit Union
    Leadership's Biggest Problem

    Biography

    Darryl D. Enos, Dana Vincent J.M., Suzanna E. M.D.